Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
January 1, 2025
B A Maksimov
In Hoffmann's fantastic stories, dreams and visions occur in borderline, twilight states such as half-asleep, intoxication, creative ecstasy, or fever. These dreams are not escapist other-realities but one of two constitutive modes of perception, sharing a common source with everyday awareness. They are characterized by hypermateriality, animation, dynamism, plasticity, and infinite productivity. While romantics believed immersion in dreams could overcome splits between human and nature or inner and outer worlds, Hoffmann emphasizes the ambivalent nature of dreams: they cause sensory exhaustion, increase the dreamer's dependence on unbreakable connections, lead to loss of identity through bodily disintegration and vampiric rapport, and turn spontaneous energy against the subject. Hoffmann suggests that dynamic balance and plasticity of spirit are necessary for successfully processing dreams.
Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
January 1, 2024
E V Gedevani, A G Alekseeva, O A Borisova et al.
Spiritual possession phenomenon (SPP) is a complex syndrome found across cultures and diagnoses, where patients feel controlled by a spirit, demon, or other entity. Current disease classifications do not clearly distinguish SPP as a separate mental disorder or specify its treatment. This review analyzed scientific studies on SPP in mature adults, searching databases from the 1800s to present. The authors conclude that psychiatric views on SPP have shifted over time but remain unresolved. SPP is a challenging multidisciplinary problem needing further interdisciplinary study, detailed clinical analysis, and a definitive place in psychiatry.
Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
January 1, 2024
D V Kurkin, E I Morkovin, D A Bakulin et al.
Depression is a major cause of disability globally, but current drugs based on the monoamine theory have limited effectiveness. Exploring alternative mechanisms, such as targeting glutamatergic pathways in the central nervous system through modulation of NMDA and AMPA receptors, shows promising results. This review presents existing drugs with glutamatergic activity and new developments aimed at improving pharmacotherapy for depressive disorders.
Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova
January 1, 2020
Yu V Ukraintseva, K M Liaukovich, M O Shilov
The ability to perceive the passage of time differs between wakefulness and sleep. During wakefulness, neural mechanisms support time perception and temporal order judgments. In REM sleep, awareness of time resembles wakefulness, while in NREM sleep it is markedly reduced or absent. The evolutionary significance of the sense of time and its role in cognitive functions are discussed.